SuperPACs Spending Heavily in State & Local Elections

New York Times: “But a look at the activity of super PACs in the 2014 election cycle shows that they have expanded their activities far beyond the original model. In what is a perfectly legal maneuver in many states, they are at work in state elections, provide a foundation for future elections and serve as a source of money for other political committees. Sixteen super PACs that spent at least $1 million during the cycle spent nothing on trying to elect or defeat federal candidates, and 24 others spent less than half of their money that way.

“Combined, those 40 committees spent $287 million during the election, with $49 million of that on direct independent expenditures in federal races. This is the latest demonstration of what has become a predictable pattern in federal election regulation: Methods or vehicles created at the federal level typically find their way into state elections. While federal and state elections have different rules and regulators, money passes between them, and super PACs are no exception to that rule.”